User: In plant, algae, fungi, and most bacteria cells, there is a rigid layer that surrounds the cell membrane and gives protection, support, and shape to the cell. What is this layer called?

User: cell wall

Weegy: Noun: A rigid layer of polysaccharides lying outside the plasma membrane of the cells of plants, fungi, and bacteria. In the algae and higher plants, it consists mainly of cellulose. DEANA|Points 1001|

User: wich characteristic do scientis first consider when classifying cells as wither eukaryotic or prokaryotic

Weegy: Features of Prokaryotes
Pro = “before”, karyon = “nucleus”
Prokaryotes, the first living organisms to evolve, are primarily distinguished by the fact that they lack a membrane-bound nucleus. [ In fact, the only membrane in prokaryotic cells is the plasma membrane- the outer boundary of the cell itself. Their genetic material is naked within the cytoplasm, ribosomes their only type of organelle.
Features of Eukaryotes
Eu = “true”, karyon = “nucleus”
The most noticeable feature that differentiates these more complex cells from prokaryotes is the presence of a nucleus, a double membrane-bound control center separating the genetic material, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), from the rest of the cell.
Read more at Suite101: Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells: The Difference between Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes | Suite101.com
] Expert answered|BRAINSTORM|Points 2350|